About.com Apartment Living / Rental

Don't Let Your Guard Down Over the Holiday Season

Sun, 20 Dec 2009 08:24:01 +0000

It's a shame, but criminals don't take vacation over the holidays. In fact, that's when some choose to strike to take advantage of the fact that many people are of greater spirit and have their guard down.

The Jersey Journal reported yesterday that an elderly woman was robbed Tuesday after she let two strangers into her apartment who claimed they were there to fix a water leak. While one of the pair ran the bathtub and sink to focus the tenant's attention, the other looted her bedroom, making off with jewelry and a checkbook.

Enjoy the holiday season, but don't let the good feeling make you become more trusting than usual when it comes to basic security issues, such as letting people into your home.

Related Articles:

(Photo � Tom Grill / Getty Images)

Don't Let Your Guard Down Over the Holiday Season originally appeared on About.com Apartment Living / Rental on Sunday, December 20th, 2009 at 08:24:01.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

A Merry Christmas Includes Tree Safety

Sat, 19 Dec 2009 09:21:16 +0000

Many apartment dwellers who celebrate Christmas opt for a real tree as the cornerstone of their holiday decorations. If you're one of them, be aware that a real tree -- even a small one -- can pose a serious fire hazard if it becomes too dry.

Fortunately, a dry Christmas tree hazard is fairly easy to prevent. Read what you can do, starting with regular watering, to ensure a safe and merry Christmas.

Related Articles:

(Photo � Streuli Silvan / SXC)

A Merry Christmas Includes Tree Safety originally appeared on About.com Apartment Living / Rental on Saturday, December 19th, 2009 at 09:21:16.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

Unusual Self-Help Eviction Is More Self-Hurt

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:17:21 +0000

A landlord in Nagoya, Japan wanted to evict a tenant for nonpayment of rent. Rather than follow the legal route, she decided to pursue a "self-help eviction." Usually, such a measure involves changing an apartment's locks, shutting off utilities, or doing something similar in the hopes of convincing a tenant to leave.

This landlord's actions, however,�were more self-hurt than self-help. According to The Japan Times, the landlord actually set her own apartment building on fire yesterday in an effort to drive the tenant away!

Authorities contained the fire,�but now the landlord is in custody and the tenant, uninjured from the blaze, apparently remains in his rental.

Unusual Self-Help Eviction Is More Self-Hurt originally appeared on About.com Apartment Living / Rental on Wednesday, December 16th, 2009 at 18:17:21.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

Recall Affects Apartment Dwellers With Roman Shades or Roll-Up Blinds

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 08:43:50 +0000

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the Window Covering Safety Council (WCSC) today announced a voluntary recall to repair Roman shades and roll-up blinds because of the strangulation risk they pose to young children. The CPSC estimates that roughly five million Roman shades and three million roll-up blinds are purchased each year.

Strangulations in Roman shades can occur when children place their neck between the exposed inner cord and the fabric on the backside of the blind or when children pull the cord out and wraps it around their neck. Strangulations in roll-up blinds can occur if the lifting loop slides off the side of the blind and a child's neck becomes entangled on the free-standing loop or if children place their neck between the lifting loop and the roll-up blind material.

If you have Roman shades or roll-up blinds in your apartment, contact the WCSC by visiting http://www.windowcoverings.org or calling 1-800-506-4636 for a free repair kit.

The CPSC and the WCSC also offer the following guidelines to prevent strangulation:

Examine all sides of shades and blinds in your apartment to make sure there aren't any accessible cords. Ideally, use cordless window coverings in your apartment if children live there or visit.
Don't place cribs, beds, and furniture close to windows where children can climb to gain access to the cords.
Make loose cords inaccessible.
If the window shade has looped bead chains or nylon cords, install tension devices to keep the cord taut.

Related Articles:

Recall Affects Apartment Dwellers With Roman Shades or Roll-Up Blinds originally appeared on About.com Apartment Living / Rental on Tuesday, December 15th, 2009 at 08:43:50.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

Menorah Safety for a Happy Hanukkah

Sat, 12 Dec 2009 09:48:31 +0000

Lighting a menorah is a key part of celebrating Hanukkah, but burning candles can pose a fire risk. Just last year, a�single candle in a�menorah�at a�rabbi's house in Chester, New York led to a devastating fire that consumed the house, according to Vos Iz Neias.

If you celebrate Hanukkah, play it safe when it comes to lighting your apartment menorah. Each night, place a nonflammable surface such as aluminum foil sheets underneath your menorah before you begin.

Even if the candles of your menorah feel secure in their holders, you don't want to risk that a lit one will fall and roll onto a flammable surface, sparking a large fire. Also, you'll want to protect your furniture's surfaces from hot wax that may drip from candles as they burn.

Following this tip in your apartment will help ensure you have a safe and happy Hanukkah.

(Photo � Thomas Northcut / Getty Images)

Menorah Safety for a Happy Hanukkah originally appeared on About.com Apartment Living / Rental on Saturday, December 12th, 2009 at 09:48:31.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

An Old Rental Scam With a Bizarre Twist

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 13:57:13 +0000

The "phony landlord" scam happens every so often, but this time the impostor went as far as using the court system to protect his rights as a landlord.

Last year, a�tenant moved into her new digs in Baldwin, New York only to learn months later that the man to whom she was giving her rent money wasn't the landlord after all. He was an impostor with no claim to the property, trying to make a quick buck off an unsuspecting victim in need of housing.

Before the scam was uncovered, it took a turn for the bizarre.�When the tenant stopped paying rent because the man didn't make promised repairs�to the apartment, he didn't just take his profits and run. Instead, the impostor pulled his landlord hat down tighter and actually sued the tenant to collect the unpaid (and illegitimate) rent!

A tip led police to arrest the�man this morning on charges of burglary and grand larceny, after he allegedly�pocketed over $10,000 in illegal rent, according to NBC. He reportedly faces up to seven years in prison, if convicted.

An Old Rental Scam With a Bizarre Twist originally appeared on About.com Apartment Living / Rental on Tuesday, December 8th, 2009 at 13:57:13.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

Everything But the Kitchen Sink

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 12:58:51 +0000

If you're evicted from an apartment, you're expected to take your things and leave. But one tenant who was just evicted from a Kaisertown, New York rental decided to help himself to a number of furnishings and other things that weren't his to take.

The landlord reported that over the weekend the tenant made off with an array of items, including rugs, smoke detectors, sink pipes, lighting fixtures, landscaping, and even trees, according to today's police blotter in The Buffalo News.

The total bill for the theft is estimated at�over $3,100.

Everything But the Kitchen Sink originally appeared on About.com Apartment Living / Rental on Sunday, December 6th, 2009 at 12:58:51.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

Get Your Landlord to Pay Attention to Your Heat Problem

Sat, 05 Dec 2009 17:52:18 +0000

If it's cold outside and your apartment just isn't getting enough heat, you don't want to have to spend weeks, or even days, waiting for your landlord or super to respond to the problem.

Nor should you. Landlords have a duty to keep your apartment habitable, and many cities, such as New York, have laws specifying exactly how much heat tenants are due.

If you have trouble getting through to your landlord about a heat problem, here are some communication tips you can use to help ou get the prompt attention you need from your landlord.

(Photo � Tom Grill / Getty Images)

Get Your Landlord to Pay Attention to Your Heat Problem originally appeared on About.com Apartment Living / Rental on Saturday, December 5th, 2009 at 17:52:18.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

Does Best Friend Equal Best Roommate?

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 16:29:53 +0000

When it comes to finding the perfect roommate, many renters assume that their closest friends would automatically make the best candidates.

But likeability isn't the same thing as compatibility, which is the key to a successful roommate relationship. Rooming with a friend can work, but only if you're both on the same page about issues such as paying your rent on time, sharing expenses, cleaning your apartment, how often you'll invite guests over, and how quiet or noisy you'll agree to be during the day and night.

What types of people, then, generally make the best roommate candidates? Find out with this handy guide.

Got a story to tell on how you went about finding the right roommate? Share it here!

(Photo � Image Source / Getty Images)

Does Best Friend Equal Best Roommate? originally appeared on About.com Apartment Living / Rental on Friday, December 4th, 2009 at 16:29:53.

Permalink | Comment | Email this

Holiday Tipping in an Apartment Building

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 10:10:17 +0000

If you live in an apartment, you may have one or even a few people to consider tipping this holiday season. The most common candidates include your mail carrier plus your doorman and super, if you have them.

Of course, these people are paid to do their jobs, but the point of giving a tip is to show that you appreciate what these folks do for you, and you're happy to help spread holiday cheer. Also, your token of appreciation and generosity will hopefully encourage the recipients to show you the prompt attention you deserve when an issue with a package or a repair inevitably arises.

Rent.com notes that holiday tips can range from $30 to $100, depending on your building and city and how often you interact with the recipients or utilize their services.

Whom do you tip for the holidays, and how do you decide how much to tip? Have you asked neighbors what they do?

Related Articles:

(Photo � Carlos Davila / Getty Images)

Holiday Tipping in an Apartment Building originally appeared on About.com Apartment Living / Rental on Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009 at 10:10:17.

Permalink | Comment | Email this